Biography for the Hon Dr Sharman Stone

About the Hon Dr Sharman Stone

Biography

Sharman Stone was born in a small rural community in Northern Victoria and grew up on the family farm. Her lifelong concerns about the disadvantage experienced in isolated, rural and indigenous communities began there.

Before entering parliament Sharman had long championed rural communities, indigenous, women’s and prisoner’s rights in her work, her writing and advocacy.

She broke through customary barriers as the first woman entering senior management in the Victorian Rural Water Corporation, as the first woman Director in the Department of Agriculture and also in the Victorian Farmer’s Federation. She was the first women Supervisor with the Office of Corrections and is now the only woman Director of Murray Irrigation.

Achieving greater gender equality in the workplace and society has always been one of Sharman’s strongest commitments.

The Hon Dr Sharman Stone was elected the Federal Member for Murray in 1996. She retired from the seat at the 2016 elections.

As the chair of the House of Representatives Indigenous Affairs Committee Sharman tabled reports with recommendations on the impacts of alcohol abuse in indigenous communities; the rates of incarceration of indigenous youth; educational disadvantage and indigenous language protection and promotion.

Sharman represented the Australian Government on the Council for Reconciliation from 1997-2000.

In 2011 she gained bipartisan parliamentary support for the establishment of a national strategy to help eliminate Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. She is patron of the FASD support group for parents, carers and victims.

As a long serving member and recently Chair of the Australian Parliamentarians for Population Development Group (APPDG), Sharman was elected the Vice Chair of the Asia-Pacific Population Development Group with special responsibilities for promoting the rights of women and girls in the region. In this role and as the Chair of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade, Aid Sub Committee, Sharman has championed the cause of eliminating child marriages, FGM, human trafficking, poverty and disease in our region. She delivered Australia’s Statement on the Status of Women in the UNGA in 2014, where she also worked on the development of the new SDGs and has advocated for overcoming disadvantagein numerous international fora, always addressing the role and partnering of Australia in supporting our region’s special needs.

In the last parliament Sharman chaired the Australian Timor-Leste, the Australian-Moroccan and the Australian-Mongolian Parliamentary Friendship Groups.

From 1998 Sharman Stone held parliamentary secretary positions in the Environment and Finance portfolios and was Minister for Workforce Participation. Her Shadow portfolios included Indigenous Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship, Early Childhood Education, Childcare and the Status of Women

Dr Stone has authored a number of books including Aborigines in White Australia: A Documentary History of Official Policy and the Australian Aborigines 1697-1973, books on natural and social history and has published journal articles and papers on environmental and rural community development, water conflict and conservation.

Parliamentary service

  • Elected to the House of Representatives for Murray, Victoria, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013. Retired from parliamentary service in July 2016.

Ministerial positions

  • Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage 21.10.98 to 26.10.04.
  • Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration 26.10.04 to 27.1.06.
  • Minister for Workforce Participation 27.1.06 to 3.12.07.
  • Shadow Minister for the Environment, Heritage, the Arts and Indigenous Affairs 6.12.07 to 22.9.08; Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship from 22.9.08 to 8.12.09; Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and Childcare from 8.12.09 to 14.9.10; Shadow Minister for the Status of Women from 8.12.09 to 14.9.10.

Personal

  • Born at Pyramid Hill, Victoria.
  • Sharman has two daughters and a son and eleven grandchildren.

Qualifications

  • BA (Hons) Monash University, (Anthropology)
  • M.A. La Trobe University, (Rural Sociology)
  • Grad Diploma in Tertiary Education, Hawthorne CAE
  • PhD. Monash University, (Economics & Business)

Positions Before Entering Federal Parliament

  • Member, Governing Council, La Trobe University of Northern Victoria 1987-93; Governing Council, La Trobe University 1991-93.
  • Manager, International Development, University of Melbourne 1994-95.
  • Pricing & Water Conservation Consultant, Melbourne Water.
  • Director, Social Policy & Communications Victorian Farmers Federation.
  • Director, Communications, Victoria Department of Agriculture.
  • Manager, Consumer Policy, Rural Water Corporation of Victoria.
  • Manager, Community Engagement & Victorian Salinity Program, Victorian Ministry of Planning & Environment.
  • Regional Assistant Manager, Victorian Office of Corrections, Southern Metropolitan Region.
  • Curriculum Development & Prison Liaison Officer, Victorian Aboriginal Education Service.
  • Lecturer, Institute of Early Childhood Development, University of Melbourne.
  • Lecturer, Social Science, La Trobe University.
  • Community Development Officer, Westernport Regional Council